Tag Archives: University line

Greanias officially resigns, interim Metro CEO named

Posted on December 22, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

George Greanias may have stepped down as CEO of Metro, but he’ll still be around for awhile, as Metro searches for his successor. Metropolitan Transit Authority board members on Thursday accepted Greanias’ resignation, named an interim replacement and approved a … Continue reading →

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Don’t write off the University line

Posted on December 14, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Metro certainly hasn’t, judging by what they’re saying. “Dallas has almost 100 miles of light rail,” Metro board chairman Gilbert Garcia told a business luncheon Tuesday. “Certainly we can get to The Galleria.” What hasn’t been figured out, yet, is … Continue reading →

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Buses and trains, not buses or trains

Posted on November 15, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

I have a lot of emotion about this, but I’m still working through how to express it. Metropolitan Transit Authority officials say the agency is on firmer financial footing than it has been in years. They plan to add shelters … Continue reading →

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Closing arguments for the Metro referendum

Posted on November 4, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

One way or another, this argument will be settled on Tuesday. What happens after that is still anyone’s guess. The referendum on Tuesday’s ballot asks whether to continue spending some public transit sales tax money on streets and bridges. Opponents … Continue reading →

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More back and forth on the Metro referendum

Posted on October 10, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Metro Board Chair Gilbert Garcia explains the referendum for those who say they don’t understand it. The referendum is as easy as 1-2-3. If approved, it will: 1. Continue the road-building program. 2. Expand Metro’s bus system. 3. Pay down … Continue reading →

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What comes after the Metro referendum

Posted on October 5, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

I hope you found my series of interviews on the Metro referendum to be useful. I think there’s plenty in those four interviews to bolster your support of or opposition to the referendum. The referendum question is simple – do … Continue reading →

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Interview with Sue Lovell

Posted on October 3, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Former Council member Sue Lovell was not directly involved in the current Metro referendum, but as the past Chair of the Transportation Committee on Council under Mayor Bill White, she was instrumental in the creation and adoption of the city’s … Continue reading →

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Will voters understand the Metro referendum?

Posted on September 25, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

That’s the question that people on both sides of the issue are asking themselves. “You have some people who will read it and maybe they don’t like Metro and so they’re going to vote against it, without realizing that by … Continue reading →

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Whither the University Line?

Posted on September 11, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Is the University Line in doubt? Some people think so. Over the last decade, METRO spent $71 million of your dollars to build a rail line. But the agency recently took that project off the table for at least another … Continue reading →

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Here come the GMP proposals

Posted on July 27, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

At Metro’s board meeting yesterday, trustees presented their proposed ballot referenda for the General Mobility Program. “I’m anxious to see the outcome just like everybody else,” said Chairman Gilbert Garcia, before anyone offered their specifics. As it turned out, city-appointee … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: An opponent for Culberson

Posted on July 22, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron gets around to another race it ignored in May, the Democratic primary in CD07. The winner of the Democratic primary runoff for Texas’ U.S. House 7th District will face quite a battle against incumbent Rep. John Culberson on … Continue reading →

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Culberson’s Univesity Line attack makes it through the House

Posted on July 2, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Great. Advocates of federally subsidized expansion of the Houston Metro light rail system lost a crucial round to Houston Congressman John Culberson on Friday, leaving dwindling opportunities to overturn spending restrictions on the Richmond Avenue project. The House adopted a … Continue reading →

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Metro floats compromise on mobility funds

Posted on June 5, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

As we know, Metro is preparing for a referendum this fall on the status of the general mobility fund, which is one fourth of the sales tax revenue Metro collects and which goes to Metro member cities for road projects. … Continue reading →

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Football season is over, but political football season never ends

Posted on February 14, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

It never even reaches the two minute warning. The committee chairman described it as a “food fight,” an after-midnight bout as Republican Congressman Blake Farenthold tried to jimmy legislation to block federal money for Metro to build or extend the … Continue reading →

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Meet the new rail debate, same as the old rail debate

Posted on February 11, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

I feel like I’ve heard all this before. Opponents of the planned downtown streetcar system said Tuesday that county officials broke a promise with voters when they agreed to use advanced transportation district funds to help fund the project. The … Continue reading →

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The Bellaire “urban transit village”

Posted on November 30, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Very interesting. Nearly a year in the drafting, a sweeping change to Bellaire’s zoning laws creating an “urban transit village” where there is now a collection of nondescript warehouses will soon be before City Council. On Nov. 1, the city’s … Continue reading →

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Metro signs Full Funding Grant Agreement

Posted on November 29, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Full speed ahead. The head of the Federal Transit Administration on Monday signed $900 million in grant agreements to help pay for two Houston light-rail lines under construction by the Metropolitan Transit Authority. The grants, the first federal funds ever … Continue reading →

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Apartment boom coming

Posted on November 23, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

I have many things to say about this. High occupancies and rising rents for apartments are driving a new wave of development in Houston’s high-end urban neighborhoods. More than 3,500 units in a dozen complexes are under construction primarily inside … Continue reading →

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Metro in the President’s budget

Posted on February 16, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

They did all right. Houston Metro’s expansion is getting a $200 million boost in Obama’s budget request to Congress. The money for the North Corridor and the Southeast Corridor projects is $50 million more than the $150 million set aside … Continue reading →

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Yet another threat to light rail expansion

Posted on February 2, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Great. The House could vote as soon as mid-February on a plan by the conservative House Republican Study Committee to end the 35-year-old Federal Transit Administration’s “New Starts” program,” which pours $2 billion-a-year into urban transit projects such as Houston … Continue reading →

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Metro gets record of decision for University line

Posted on July 31, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Very good news. Metro has received word that final approval has been given concerning the environmental review process for the University light-rail line. “Houston clearly needs the University Line as an East-West transit artery,” said George Greanias, action president and … Continue reading →

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Another setback for DART

Posted on June 30, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

More bad news from Dallas. Dallas Area Rapid Transit can’t afford to build light-rail service to D/FW International Airport by 2013 as it has long said it would, the agency’s chief financial officer said Tuesday. The news comes as a … Continue reading →

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Metro approves study of Fort Bend commuter rail line

Posted on March 19, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

In the last act for several Metro board members, we get a step forward on another commuter rail line. Moving to extend Metro’s reach into Fort Bend County, the agency’s board agreed Thursday to spend up to $500,000 on environmental … Continue reading →

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The transition team report on Metro

Posted on March 18, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

In addition to naming new Metro board members, today was the day for Mayor Parker’s transition team to give its report on Metro. Here’s the Chron story about their report. I’m going to focus on one piece of it: [James] … Continue reading →

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Parker reaffirms commitment to light rail

Posted on March 17, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

This is what I want to see. [Mayor Annise] Parker’s letter regarding this week’s Metro board meeting was sent on the eve of her trip to Washington, where she said she would reassure U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood that her … Continue reading →

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The Hempstead line

Posted on March 16, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s another story about progress on a proposed commuter rail line, this one out US 290. A study to determine ridership on the line, which would go as far west as Hempstead, will be done. The Houston-based engineering firm Klotz … Continue reading →

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More on Metro’s finances

Posted on March 15, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron takes a closer look at Metro’s finances and the recently expressed doubts about their ability to pay for the University and Uptown lines. Mayor Annise Parker said last week that she wasn’t convinced the Metropolitan Transit Authority would … Continue reading →

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Parker expresses doubt about University and Uptown lines

Posted on March 11, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

This is not the sort of thing I want to see. Mayor Annise Parker cast doubt Wednesday on whether the Metropolitan Transit Authority has the money to pay for two planned light-rail lines that proponents say are critical to the … Continue reading →

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All your empty lots are belong to HEB

Posted on March 8, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

The empty lot that once housed the Wilshire Village apartments will be bought by HEB. Cyndy Garza-Roberts, director of public affairs for H-E-B, said the company is studying the feasibility of the acquisition and didn’t have an estimated closing date. … Continue reading →

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More FTA funds for North and Southeast lines

Posted on February 13, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

From Houston Tomorrow: The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) released its recommendations for the President’s FY2011 Budget, which include $75 million each for Houston’s North (pdf) andSoutheast Light Rail Lines (pdf), continuing the funding that began in the previous year. The Metropolitan Transit … Continue reading →

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Bellaire versus Westpark Stadium

Posted on January 30, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Still more on the proposed Westpark location for Dynamo Stadium: The Mayor of Bellaire doesn’t like the idea. [Bellaire Mayor Cindy] Siegel has scheduled an executive session of the Bellaire City Council Monday following the 7 p.m. State of the … Continue reading →

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The Dynamo contemplate their options

Posted on January 27, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Is the future of Dynamo Stadium on Westpark? Could be. Dynamo President Oliver Luck is in talks with a developer about building a soccer stadium on private land about a mile south of the Galleria. The Dynamo have not abandoned … Continue reading →

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University Line FEIS filed

Posted on January 25, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Again via Swamplot, here’s another Examiner story about the current state of light rail construction, in this case the University line. The light rail alignment for Metro’s University route will require the acquisition of about 23 acres of land, much … Continue reading →

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Uptown line update

Posted on January 24, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

The River Oaks Examiner takes a look at what Metro is planning to do to prepare for the Uptown line. [A] Metropolitan Transit Authority street reclassification plan, dated March 13, 2009, [shows] total land needed for the project beyond the … Continue reading →

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